Under The Ice
by TurtleFriedRice
Summary: It was to quiet with the idiot gone. Merman AU; A Secret Santa gift for my dear friend ChibiKanakoNyu, my favorite sack of bones!


**This is for my dear Chibikanakonyu ~! Whom I got in the Underground Zosan Secret Santa exchange. I really hope you enjoy it dear ;u; I loves you lots and have a Merry Christmas!**

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"You shitty Marimo! Where do you think you're going?" Sanji yelled out, propping the top half of his body up on a rock.

He was stuck behind the rock border lining the pond they were temporarily calling home, somewhere randomly in the midst of a forest an idiot got them lost in during the middle of winter. As men of the sea, quite literally as they were pure blooded mermaids, the pond with its iced top but heated water below was nothing but an oasis, less of course they had decided they wanted to be fishscicles.

Regardless, he was glaring out, his skin trembling at the air's harsh chill as he watched the naked individual stand from where he'd rolled, his tail fin shifting from a particular forest green that shimmered in the light to a tan peach before it split into two, morphing into human legs beneath him. It was a stunning sight to see, and something Sanji had seen quite a few times actually being the only one of the pair who couldn't master the damn ability, but this time it only pissed him off.

The Marimo was being cowardly after all! Growing legs to walk away from a discussion he didn't agree with? What was he, five? Sanji had met plankton that were more mature.

Zoro just brushed some snow off his legs which were already turning scarlet from the lack of warmth.

"Fuck you." He spat, shooting him a glare before stumbling off.

He went to a nearby tree, shoving the snow there away until he could find something he was looking for. It was a bag of human things they had gathered from their latest adventure that Zoro kept, needing it for his newest of forms. He practically ripped a pair of pants out of it... Cursing cause it was soaking wet and frozen. He ignored the slight huff from the water, standing up straight once more in his birthday suit and turning towards uncharted territory.

It made Sanji's curly eyebrow twitch and he tried pulling himself more out of the water, but the rock was to slick. It was so fucking cold, only this neanderthal would think storming off from a fight into some snowy woods would be a particularly good idea. He was gonna get mistaken as the fucking Yetti again!

The wind and snow were picking up though, the image of his beloved fading as he made his way out and between the trees, leaving just the image of a bare ass for Sanji to part with. He growled, shivering again and sliding back into the water. It was just as cold if not colder than the air, but there was nothing worse than being in cold water first than exposing yourself to the air. His cheeks began to flush more, his teeth clattering.

This was all Zoro's fault and he was just going to storm off. It was such a messed up situation. But even though they had argued with one another over such a juvenile thing – hell it was so stupid Sanji didn't want to remember it fully – Sanji couldn't help but feel a little guilty. After all, Zoro didn't usually walk away from their arguments. His eyes fell back to the ground where an awful snow angel remained from Zoro flopping outside.

He sighed, sliding the rest of his body and his head back under the water. The next thing that got to him though, was the silence. It was consuming and scary. This pond had been deserted when they found it in a sort of desperation. Sanji could just recall hugging onto his tail for dear life on the side while Zoro and his stupid human abilities broke the ice the first time. Its water could use cleaning, it had a distinct murky taste to it, but if it didn't would it be so homey?

Now that he thought about it, the Marimo didn't have to do that. Hell he didn't have to pick him up and begin carrying him like an asshole too when the effects of Kureha's curse lifted, leaving Zoro with abilities Sanji couldn't yet master. He could have left him in the middle of nowhere, but instead he didn't question it, just scooping up his flailing man fish and heading on his way, refusing to leave him behind.

Without thinking about it, Sanji had crossed one of his arms over his chest, grabbing hold of his other to lightly squeeze, blowing bubbles from between his lips absentmindedly, the mermaid equivalent of a deep sigh. He descended, the light from above beginning to lack but the water becoming a tad bit warmer. Still feeling guilty, he turned his head to the side, looking quietly at the way they had shifted some of the rocks on the bottom around, creating their makeshift seabed, nearly hidden in the algae that wasn't on Zoro's head.

Being at the bottom of a pond, cut off from the sea and the human world alone, was a very lonesome place without Zoro. Until the winter passed, this is where they'd be forced to stay, unfortunately taking down the population of their neighbors as they did. Sanji experimentally reached out and brushed his finger alongside a water turtle's shell as it was chasing after its prey. He missed Zoro. He missed him a lot.

He was left at the bottom for a long while later, stuck in the silence and his thoughts. What if Zoro really wasn't going to come back? Would he be able to make it on his own? He was more social of a creature than he liked to admit and sure Zoro hardly responded anyway but even so... The water was cold without that neanderthal to keep him warm.

Constantly, over short amounts of time, Sanji would swim back up towards the top and just peek. But it'd been quite awhile now, a thin line of ice coating where he'd left. The water and sky had gotten slightly darker. It was freezing near the top, Sanji wasn't sure if he could wait just to watch anymore. Was Zoro really not coming back?

Just as he settled back on their rock, staring at a slug moving on the bottom of the pond and paying no attention to the green turtles around, a noise from the surface grabbed his attention. Sanji cocked his head to the side, glancing up through the water. There wasn't a lot of light out anymore, but enough so that the blond could see to the top. There was the faint outline of something green. Another sound echoed. Whatever it was it was banging against the hardened ice.

A smile unwillingly shined across his face and he pushed off the rock, making his way towards the top. That bastard, he knew he'd be back. His ass was probably frozen. Of course he wasn't going to let him know he was happy about it. Well, that's if it is him at all. He really hoped it was, there wasn't a lot of green in the forest these days anyway, so it had to be.

Zoro was shivering like crazy, but his expression was still stern as he pounded on the ice. He could have sworn he'd only been gone a few minutes, only having circled around the trees to teach the cook a lesson. But why was the sun so low already? Or the ice so thick? He growled, his skin flared against the cold. He would have to apply more weight to it.

His face softened when he noticed under the ice, in the murky water, a blob of yellow approaching the surface. Before he knew it, a hand not unfamiliar to him pressed up against the other side. There was a muffled chuckle that he could easily recognize as Sanji's. It made him glare.

"Man, what a stupid frog face Marimo." He teased with a grin, his face slightly blurred in the ice. "The hell are you doing?"

"Move shit cook, I'm going to break the ice."

Sanji didn't budge through, only scowling and putting both hands up against the ice, as if keeping it in place. He felt guilty for running Zoro off, sure, but he knew running away from arguments wasn't the way to solve them. Zoro made him feel like shit, he could freeze his human ass a little more.

"That's what you get for leaving in the first place asshole. Now you get to sit out there, think about what you did, yeah?"

Zoro narrowed his eyes, banging his fist against the ice once more before leaning his face down close. His teeth were clattering but he dismissed it, using all the strength he could to remain composed. His body leaned forward onto the ice, the cold burning further at his skin.

"Oi..." Zoro snarled, scratching furiously at the top over Sanji's face. Then he just settled his hand over top of the blond's. "It's fucking cold out here."

"Your point?"

"Let me in."

"No. You should have gone back to town, gone and got lost somewhere else. Leave me behind. This is my pond bastard, go away."

Zoro shook his head. "No, I ain't leaving your ass for the last time, dammit. I ain't apologizing, just move over."

"That so? And here I was thinking if I heard the magic word I might move..."

The Marimo growled, glancing up, his tongue accidentally getting nipped in his chattering. He sighed, frustrated. Damn. What was stopping him from breaking it anyway and if he cut the cook he cut the cook? Still he wouldn't do that. The blond loved to be cheesy, so it was his only course of action. His expression softened, he gazed back down at him.

"Im only saying this once ero cook. 'm sorry." Slowly, his cheeks flushed, Zoro lowered his face, his lips gracing the top of the ice.

Sanji averted his eyes, his own blush working on his cheeks at witnessing such a sight. What a sapp kissing the ice like that, he half wanted his lips to get stuck. That would show him wouldn't it? But he supposed if Zoro was half frozen and in that sort of mood, he could play along too. He pushed himself up and kissed the ice opposite to the Marimo.

With more of his weight on the glass now, there was a slight crackle then a snap, the ice shattering beneath the larger man, flushing past Sanji as he was submerged into the water above Sanji, automatically wrapping his arms around the blond and forcing himself forward so that his lips might find the other's. He didn't even bother taking a breath, his gills slitting across the side of his neck, welcoming the feel of the water against his skin.

Instinctively, Sanji's mermaid tail curled around Zoro, paying no mind to the two human appendages they trapped in their way, only helping to advance their transformation into one long tail. The shift in weight against him had the blond slowly moving downward, his Marimo latched onto him.

Zoro was so cold to the touch, it was a surprise he was able to act so tough only moments ago. The leaner man was quick to move his hands, pulling the marimo's body closer and into his own warmth while heating him up from his touches. The marimo fully welcomed this, his own hands traveling over Sanji's frame until they both landed slowly against their rocks.

"You act like you thought you'd never see me again..." Zoro whispered, allowing the last of air to escape from his lungs as he nipped at Sanji's ear lobe, his tail fin playing a merman's version of footsies with the others.

"Idiot, you were gone for hours. Thought someone had picked you up. Sold you as a marimo slave."

Zoro furrowed his brows. "Hours?" he repeated, pulling his face away. "I was gone for a few minutes, tops."

Sanji turned his face, staring at Zoro with the mildest of unamused expressions. How could he have forgotten he was talking to the dumbest fish in the sea.

"You got lost, didn't you?" He accused, watching as Zoro's eyes traveled away and suddenly everything but the cook's direction looked appealing. "You shithead! You went out there and got lost?! Your ass is lucky it's not some fucking moss sickle!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. He wasn't that vulnerable to the elements, but even so there was just a hint of worry to Sanji's tone that was satisfying. He'd been worried about the dam mosshead.

Sanji untangled his tail from the other's and pushed him away to get a better look into his face.

"Alright Marimo, that's it. You came in here cause' you said you weren't leaving and that's damn straight. Your ass is grounded into spring, got that thick head?"

Zoro huffed, scowling at him. He'd see about that, but still the meaning behind the blond's words was evident. Instead of entering round two of the fight, he rolled his eyes, leaning back against their seabed and yawning.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say cook. Wake me up when that is, will ya?"

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**Author's Note: Do you remember us talking about this? XD Ever since I couldn't get it out of my head and just knew I had to write it for you! Hope you and anyone else reading enjoyed it too! *^* Much love~ psthankyoumyladyday**


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